Copper State Firemen Podcast
Copper State Firemen
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Podcast for Firemen burning the ships of Complacency, Laziness, and Excuses. We are promoting love and passion for the job, encouraging eagerness, and mastering the craft of the Fire Service!
The information, opinions, values, recommendations, and ideas are of the host and individuals on this podcast, and are not affiliated or endorsed by the fire department, organization, or companies the individuals works for. This podcast is for general information only! Indorced by Copper State Fools and Solid Fondation team LLC.
Copper State Firemen Podcast
Fire Service Culture and Mentorship
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What’s it like to transition from the harsh winters of the Midwest to the scorching heat of Arizona in the firefighting world? Join us on the Copper State Firemen Podcast as we sit down with Danny Petro, a seasoned captain and paramedic with 15 years of experience. In this episode, Danny shares his journey from the suburbs of Chicago to his current role in Arizona, providing insights into how the unique fire service culture in the Midwest shaped his professional development. Discover why firefighters often claim they have the best job in the world, and learn about the cherished tradition of long-term commitment to one department in this noble profession.
As Danny recounts his early days in the fire academy, he highlights the importance of mentorship in overcoming initial challenges. Under the guidance of veteran firefighter Danny navigated the demanding environment of the fire service with resilience and dedication. This episode contrasts the confrontational, alpha-driven culture of the past with today's evolving training methods, underscoring the enduring significance of tough love, brotherhood, and adapting to new generations while maintaining core values.
In addition, we explore the unique challenges of firefighting in extreme weather conditions, from shoveling snow and dealing with frozen hydrants in the Midwest to battling fires in 120-degree Arizona heat. Danny shares humorous anecdotes about the probationary period for new firefighters and the humorous yet stern culture of being the “kid” on the team. Tune in to hear about the transition from mutual aid to auto aid, regional differences in fire service tactics, and the unwavering spirit of mentorship and brotherhood that defines this heroic profession.
One thing that stuck with me in regards to pursuing a fire service is when I talked to guys that were in the fire service. Same answer right, Best job in the world, Wouldn't do anything else. This is typical stuff that we experience in this career, but it was always. You know, I talked to some other guys in different professions and I've never heard anybody talk the way firemen talked about their job.
Speaker 2:Welcome everybody. Copper State Fireman Podcast. This podcast is for firemen burning the ships of complacency, laziness and excuses. We're promoting love and passion for the job, encouraging eagerness and mastering the craft of the fire service. Remember the information, opinion, values, recommendation and ideas are the host and the individuals of this podcast and are not affiliated or endorsed by the fire departments, organization or companies. The individuals work for. This podcast is for general information use only. Brought to you by the Copper State Fools and sponsored by Solid Foundation Team LLC. Let's go All right. Thanks for joining us, guys.
Speaker 2:I'm sitting down here today with Dan Petro. He has a total of 15 years in the American Fire Service. We're going to talk about culture today, midwest culture to be exact, but we'll kind of cover all the coasts. He's 15 years in the American Fire Service. Like I said, started in 2009,. Started in Arlington excuse me, started in Romeoville, correct, danny, correct, all right. Then transferred over to Arlington Heights and now he's in his current department since 2016.
Speaker 2:Danny is a captain and paramedic in the fire department. Specialties held technical rescue, hazmat paramedic. This guy can do everything. Big-ticket items Danny's proud of is climbing the ranks through the backseat to engineer to captain. We all love that transition. That way he can supervise all those roles, actually doing them before. He's run the mentor program within our organization currently and he's involved in the hiring process, which is a big reason why he actually picked the department he currently works for.
Speaker 2:Having gained perspective through the years of service, danny started in the private ambulance sector, working with two different departments prior to the one he currently works with, started in the suburbs of Chicago and he's all the way out here on the West Coast in Arizona. Now, danny, did I miss anything, buddy? No, you got it. All right. Cool, all right. Well, good deal. First of all, thank you for sitting down with us today. Again, just to remind everybody, this is the Copper State Fireman Podcast sponsored by the Copper State Fools. Danny is a Copper State Fools member, so he's like to throw that out there. We'll kind of interject a little bit of that in the end, but let's actually talk what we're sitting here to talk about. So you came from another section of the country, right? Just tell me, man, how'd you grow up in the fire service culture, especially that Midwest culture?
Speaker 1:How'd you grow up in the fire, in a fire service culture, especially that Midwest culture? Yeah, so a little, yeah, a lot of differences compared to, you know, the Arizona culture. I think I got in at a really good time, you know, seeing a lot of those old school mentality guys on their way out and, could you know, good, bad, indifferent. However you want to look at it, some of the stuff I experienced probably wouldn't um fly today.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it wouldn't wouldn't go over too well. But that type of culture being more rigid or jagged or however you want to put it more in your face, Do you think that was a benefit for you?
Speaker 1:Oh, big time, Okay, um, and you and I have talked. I think the fire service in a lot of ways was I didn't do any military service, right, but my first year, we'll say my first couple of years, was very much like the military for me. Okay, and how I came up, right, and how old were you? When you joined I was 20. I want to say 23.
Speaker 2:Okay, so still young buck 23, 24.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but it was, it was the military for me in a lot of ways right, changed the person I am, the person I was, and kind of turned me into the person I am today.
Speaker 2:So what were you doing before you got introduced to the fire service?
Speaker 1:Figuring- it out, dude Okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, college or no.
Speaker 1:Yeah, junior college, taking every and all electives, you can Underwater basket weaving, right. Pretty much no clue, right, no clue what I wanted to do. But I had a good structure at home. Right, I had some really, really cool parents my mom constantly pushing me to figure that out. Right Grew up in a blue-collar household. Dad was an iron worker. Um, shoot knew that I didn't want to do that, watching income, watching him come home day in, day out from just back bus and work. But uh, one thing that stuck with me in regards to pursuing a fire service is when I talked to guys that were were in the fire service. Um, same answer right, best job in the world. Uh, wouldn't do anything else. You know every this, this typical stuff that that we experienced, um in this career. But uh, it was always, you know, I talked to some other guys in in different professions and I've never heard anybody talk the way firemen talked about their job.
Speaker 2:No, and you know it's crazy too, because you know, before we really dive into the culture, it's, it's a rarity. I mean, even out of all the public safety left, I still kind of believe fire services kind of still the only one left that we're we're the few and far between that still do 20 to 30 plus years in one department, right, you know, especially like take police right now, you know there's so many cities and counties and organizations dying, for police officers are offering these huge bonuses, so it's even that profession now has become very transient, which is which is not the fire service, thank God, right, because I know you and I feel the same way, like this is not a stepping stone or whatever it's that you find the department you love and they teach you how to be a freaking man, right, or a woman, for that example, and you you get back right, and you get back by staying, more importantly, teaching those young bucks that come up underneath you to the same thing, you know, the same thing that those old timers gave you, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, Um, but to back up and just talk about, hey, how'd I get into the fire service right, Doing a little bit of research of my own and kind of talking with some guys, that pointed me in the right direction and got into EMT school and that kind of gave me an awakening in regard to the academic side, right, I always did decent in school, but I really started applying myself once I got into that EMT course and past that got hired with the private ambulance service, into that EMT course and, um, past that got hired with the private ambulance service and again got some pretty good perspective in regards to just appreciation for the job.
Speaker 1:You know, once you go full time and get the benefits to pay, um, and then just the culture that comes along with it, um, you have, you build up an appreciation for for that and, um, yeah, I, it was a weird time, uh, in in regards to getting hired right Way different than out here. You had to be they, they, everybody, everybody, department wise outside of the Chicago fire department really wanted you to be a paramedic and a firefighter before you even got hired.
Speaker 2:So I had to man hit the ground running right Got EMT.
Speaker 1:Um, so I had to man hit the ground running. Right Got EMT. Did about a year, not even in the private ambulance service, and then went from zero to hero. Right, right to paramedic school, just to make myself marketable, to get hired.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it makes sense. That's how a lot of systems are. It seems like.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so that's what happened. Right, I got my paramedic through St Mary's Hospital down in Kankakee, Illinois, right.
Speaker 2:Okay St.
Speaker 1:Mary's Hospital down in Kankakee, illinois. Then I started applying, got my foot in the door with the Romeoville Fire Department. I was as green as they come man. I didn't know the difference between an engine and a truck dude. Being honest, I think that kind of steamrolled into the experience I got when I first got in there. So they, they hired me under the provision hey, we're going to send you to a fire academy in six weeks, right?
Speaker 2:And they have their own academy.
Speaker 1:They did yeah, so I went through their first Romeoville's first ever fire. Uh, fire too.
Speaker 1:Oh okay, they transitioned to like basics of firefighting, or boff they call it. But yeah, I went through the first ever class in that in the Romevo Fire Academy and that's what really opened my eyes to the fire service, right, like getting that experience in fire academy and just being around some, some, some guys that you know were like larger in life and shoot. They probably wouldn't, you know, recognize me today, but the impact that they had on me you know. Down at the Academy and so early on in my career, you know guys from Chicago, downers Grove, um, you know, just all over suburbs of, uh, of of Chicago, just some incredible dudes who I still, you know. I remember every one of my art, my instructors at the time, um, I remember every one of them right my instructors at the time.
Speaker 2:I remember every one of them, right? That's a crazy thing too, is? I challenge everybody listening to this, especially if you're on the job. It's like every single person remembers their recruit training officers, you know, at the bare minimum, because it's like that's your first introduction, your real introduction to the fire service, you know. So I mean, that's such a freaking important job and it's crazy because I have the same experiences. There's, there's guys that probably have no clue that they had such a big impact on me, but they did. You know, it's just one of those things, and I'm sure that there's guys walking around that are like freaking petro man. He had a huge, you know, freaking idea. You know they could be gone in another department by now for all we know. But yeah, dude, that's great. So, uh, so you got involved, you went through the academy, right? Um, everything's good. So you're on the job, right? How do guys treat you?
Speaker 1:yeah, so before I got that, that fire academy experience, um, that was, I think, the the roughest part, right, because once I got my some my head wrapped around the fire service, the fire department culture and I got a lot of that from from Academy, things started kind of kicking. But before that dude it was, it was rough. I came from a private ambulance sector, ran a little bit of 9-1-1, most mostly inter-facility stuff. So, dude, I didn't, I didn't know anything, yeah.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, it was a rude awakening for me, right, like that militaristic mentality. Right, be seen, not heard. You know, I had a work ethic which was my saving grace, right, like, I worked hard but just, hey, man, like if you weren't cutting it the guys would let you know, right, and very aggressively in some regard. So it came to the point, man, I didn't know if I was gonna make it through probation, do those first. You know, a couple months it was rough for me.
Speaker 1:It was rough for me, you know, I I went into the fire service with the expectation of hey, you got hired as a paramedic, we need you to function as a paramedic part of the team. And I had very minimal experience, no, no, not really any as far as a paramedic, right, maybe like six months in a private sector. But, uh, my saving grace outside of that stuff, man was, was a guy, right, who's still my like. My main mentor for today, dude, is he's now a battalion chief with the romano fire department guy, marty henry. Dude, I mean, this guy took me under his wing and beat me down to nothing and brought me back up, you know what was he at the time?
Speaker 2:Was he an engineer? No, he was a firefighter man.
Speaker 1:He was a backseat firefighter at a Cush little company. Dude, he was out of station two. It was a squad engine house Okay, I'm sorry, A truck, a truck squad house. And uh, he left that house, came down to station three, um, rode the ambulance with me, man, and just kind of showed me the ropes. Dude, he was like a true bro. Like you know, we talked about brotherhood, dude, that's.
Speaker 1:I mean, I talked about this guy in my captain's interview right, he had such an impact on me and still to this day, like I keep in touch with them. When he comes out to Arizona, we link up, I go back home, I try to go see him at the firehouse. You know, just an incredible, you know he's an East Coast Boston guy Came over very confrontational when he needed to be, you know, and that's what I kind of needed man and yeah, probably some of the stuff wouldn't fly today and not throwing any kind of shade, he, he, he was, he just had passion and he cared man and uh, I can never thank him enough.
Speaker 2:It's funny too, because I mean, obviously, from when you got hired and when I got, when I got hired in the fire service, both of us in different departments, on different coasts, and everything else but it's one of those things where, yeah, we, we both came up right around the same time in different structures and everything else, but and like you said, it was just different then. But, more importantly, it's a lot of that was needed too, you know, because it is a very confrontational alpha career that we're in and it's one of those things where we have to make decisions in a very short timely manner and it's like shit, if it's a wrong decision, it's a wrong decision, but we have to make it at least have a game plan. It's one of those things like getting these kids like ready for that hard-nosed environment, when it's like, hey, you need to do xyz right now, right, and I didn't say please and thank you, and hey, when you have a chance, right. But at the same time, what we're noticing now in the, in the newer generation, is when you raise your voice or you speak up, they almost freeze for a second because they're like shit. You know, hey, is Danny mad at me? Be like, no, he's not mad at you, right? He just needs you to do something right now.
Speaker 2:You know, and it's like that and I, I love the fact that we came up through that because I don't think that we're affected by changes in tones and voices and attitudes, especially on the fire ground, because that's just a fucking job, you know. So I think that goes a long way and I and the newer generation is not really experiencing that. So obviously we have to cater to them a little bit differently to still make them the same freaking job you know them a little bit differently, to still make them the same freaking job you know. Uh, still make them that aggressive, progressive, efficient fireman. So I'm glad you had that experience because that's kind of like the same, the same that I did. But I apologize, keep going.
Speaker 1:No, it just, you know it was like, hey, if you had a bad call or you know, made, made a mistake and you know it didn't go well, like hey, they'd let you know. Hey, that sucked, dude, you sucked, yeah, like, let's figure it out, dude, don't make the same mistake again. And so you, you know you adapt and change and as a, you know, in a leadership role in the fire service, now you, you don't, you know, you, you play to your audience, right, the guys in your crew. You exploit their, their, their strengths and, uh, you know, you don't have to sit there and tell somebody they sucked or whatnot.
Speaker 1:But there's different ways of going about that, right, and I kind of we've gotten we talk about this Right, we've gotten kinder, gentler, softer and some, some aspects for the better. I wish we could go back to some of that hard nose kind of firehouse life in some, some aspects. But it's all good man In some aspects. But it's all good man. I'm better, stronger for going through my first year in the fire service. I came here just polished, dude, super polished, having gone through probation two times before getting here, right. So, just having an understanding man and having gone through, let's say, a tougher environment, if you want to call it that.
Speaker 2:All right. So how long were you a fireman with Romeoville for?
Speaker 1:So about four years, four and a half years, before I went to Arlington Heights.
Speaker 2:Okay, so from day one walking in that firehouse right to the last day before you transferred over to Arlington Heights, how was the attitude with the boys? Were you, were you one of the boys at that point?
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, for sure, I mean that's the one of the things, again, that made me fall in love with the fire service. Right, it's just being one of the guys, right? Um, and just, you know, majority of this country does this job for free as a volunteer, and here we are getting paid, and getting paid well and having good benefits to do this stuff. So having that brotherhood and that just camaraderie around the firehouse, it's just a win-win. It's a win across the board.
Speaker 2:All right. So when you left Romeoville, right, and you got I mean you said it already you had to go through probation twice, right? Yeah, so from the experiences you have, so you went from that snot nose kid, now you got at least four years under your belt. You have a general idea at this point, right? So how has that transition go into a different department in the same state?
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, dude, it was. You know, my dream job. I was when I was leaving Romeoville, um, I was going to go work for Chicago right, so that was so. That was like your stepping, yeah, well yeah, and and I don't want to call it a step- I know that's a dirty word.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but, um, dude, that that department, romeoville, and having that Romeoville fire Academy, um, we, we had, I did, I had the keys to the universe, man, I took every and any class right and I had the opportunity to just build my resume. So when I got to, you know, I was testing out. When I was testing, um, I, I sat in front of these, these hiring boards, with a resume full of like certifications and like the same goes for. When I got here, I guess you're kind of razzing me, give me a hard time about all the certifications I've had, or that I that I came to this department with, but, um, I almost gave these departments no option. They look at my resume like how do we turn? Turn this guy?
Speaker 2:How do we say no to this? Like he's going to have to be a douche for us to say no right, we're not not fit in with our culture, our department.
Speaker 1:Right. So, um, I owe that all to that the Romeoville fire department, the Romeoville fire Academy and just all that experience. But by the time I got to Arlington I was so polished and dialed in in that regard and I knew right playing the game. I had it down like the back of my hand. So probation outside of just working hard, right, work my ass off and be out there shoveling snow in the wintertime, clearing the apparatus, the front apron, just doing all the probationary stuff, it was work, but I knew how to play the game, man, so it wasn't hard for me in that aspect. And then, coming from having experience, it was easy.
Speaker 1:I worked all my kinks out my first couple of years in a fire service.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly. So basically, arlington Heights got a better version of you because of Romeoville. A hundred percent Right. So thank you, romeoville, for Arlington Heights. So then we can thank you, arlington Heights, um, over here for the, uh, the product that they pushed out over in Arizona. That's awesome. So, before we keep going, just because you said it and I just haven't had a chance to talk about this yet on the podcast, right, you said shoveling snow, okay, so for the guys that work in climates like we do here that they don't see snow, right. So just tell the audience a little bit about, especially when it comes down to fire service, right, and the extra work that that creates.
Speaker 1:So, like, walk through a typical day when you're having like a nor'eastern or a nasty snowstorm rolling through, like what's that look like for firemen that aren't used to experiencing that brutal dude, and again gives you perspective, right, you come out here and it's. You know, these guys are praying for rainy days. I'm like I'll take sunshine every day all day, right? Um, yeah, it was, it sucked, dude. Um, waking. You know. You get back from a run in the middle of night, the, the, the front apron, um, it's full of snow. You'll be out there shoveling right, two, three in the morning in your, in your turnouts, shoveling, snow, salting. Uh, you come back and put the plug, the heater in or propane heater, and you'd uh heat up that pump or the, the pump panel, right, so it didn't freeze over fire ground is just our engineer. After he gets the, the water to the hose line, he's out there salting right, and you can't shut hose lines down.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because they freeze.
Speaker 1:Because they'll freeze. So it's just a giant ice skating rink and I watch a lot of guys end their careers on fires because of some slip and fall. Yeah, back injuries, right, yeah, a lot of that.
Speaker 2:I mean from back east, where I came from, the same deal. We retired so many guys from a back injury because of a slip and a fall during the winter. Right, and like it's funny, because when I came out here I was terrified, dude to, because I didn't know what it was going to be like to fight fire in 120 plus degrees. Right, being able to come out of a house and not be able to cool down. My only thing was like man, don't go down, don't go down. You know, like, at all these senior captains, don't just don't go down, bro, you'll be okay, right, just don't go down. They'll make fun of you for the rest of your career. I'm like, okay, got it. But you know, when guys ask me, you know, and then for all the guys listening, it's you know, danny's right. I mean, it's literally you're, you shovel, you know.
Speaker 2:So, like I remember, I'd show up to work, shovel that back apron, front apron. Right, you're shoveling the path for the gurney because the public won't shovel. Right, it's a snowstorm, so you shovel away for there. Right, 10 medical calls later you catch a job. Right. Now you're shoveling out hydrants. Right, and, like you said, now the lines freeze up. You got to get brand new lines, hang them in the hose tower. It's like so much extra freaking work on top of all that like in, and it's a benefit that we have now currently where we work. You know, it's like we don't have to worry about that. We just have the opposite. Right, but right, yeah. So I just kind of want to go on a tangent on that real quick, just because I know it's an experience, uh, that probably half the nation doesn't get to experience, right. So for the guys that don't don't complain about the snow, right, it's uh, it sucks, right. And for the guys that do have to deal with it, trust me, brothers, I feel you on that one.
Speaker 1:Yeah, both of us feel you my coldest shift was 47 below zero oh see, I've never seen temperatures like that ever yeah, it's a hurt to breathe outside man it was brutal.
Speaker 2:So I remember we'd come out of house fires and our regulators would freeze open immediately as soon as we hit outside. And then, like I know, on medical runs, our engineer would stay there and circulate the pump panel because, if not, like you said, it would freeze, you know. So, like all those nuances that, like some, some guys don't have to worry about or think about, right, you just here. We just have to hydrate like a mother.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know and god forbid, you got a like a campaign fireman, like a defensive deal you're. You're rehabbing to go warm up, right, you're like putting your hands on the quartz lights to to heat them back up before they went all led right, yeah right. So it's just crazy, man, different, different again, perspective and and just some differences from east coast, mid uh, midwest to, you know, to sunshine state over here, yeah no joke, all joke, all right.
Speaker 2:So I apologize. So you got with Arlington Heights. You feel like super polished and dialed right. So that probation area how does how'd those guys treat you, especially coming from another department?
Speaker 1:Pretty good man. It was again just old school department A lot of guys you know 20 plus 30 years on a job. So, um, it was funny. Uh, one of the one of the stories that kind of cracks me up still is when you were on probation over there. You were the kid right. Everybody called you kid, and probably my first couple of months. I missed an email right. My shift commander came down to the station and my lieutenant, my shift commander and myself were all sitting in the firefighter office Now you're just for everyone.
Speaker 2:So your shift commander in the system you came from, was that a captain or was that a battalion chief? No, it was a battalion chief. Okay, got it.
Speaker 1:So he came down, talked to and the chain of command was really big right. Oh yeah, Like you didn't really, unless the chief approached you was big time on that. So, uh, you know, chief, hey, you know, bill, I need you to tell the kid he needs to check his emails. I'm literally right there. So my lieutenant turns to me says, hey, kid you gotta, you gotta check your emails yeah like to that extreme.
Speaker 1:It was just uh, funny. But yeah, the kid thing and um, you know, here I know it's the booter, booter roll, but over there was the probation, you know big red shield probationary, so everybody kind of knows right, um, but yeah, it wasn't, it wasn't bad man, it's like, as long as you had the good like here, you know, you show good work ethic, you show that you care, you don't make the same mistakes. Guys, treat you. Guys treat you right. Right, you're gonna get your. You're going to get the pranks and the typical new guy stuff.
Speaker 2:Well, that just means they like you, right yeah?
Speaker 1:exactly, and it was just no difference in that regard. It was fun. You know you have fun with it. Guys pick on you, it means they like you yeah.
Speaker 2:You know and you show like you, it should be worried when they don't talk to you, right? Or they're actually super, super nice, because then they're probably watching their mouth around you for a reason, right? So, yeah, dude, that's. It's definitely a different culture than we're used to right now. So when you were going through your probationary year, then your time with Arlington as general, like what was what was probably the biggest thing that would like rub you the wrong way with the culture over there? Was there anything that was like, man, I wish you know, I wish the guys would respect me more, or like and I know you're younger, or whatever? Were you just rolling with the punches and just enjoyed every minute of it?
Speaker 1:No, yeah, I think exactly that. I think I rolled with the punches that that was dude, dude, that was a department I never thought I'd leave. I thought that was going to be you know where I was going to end my career at and life kind of happened, met a great girl and came out here and you know three kids later, you know, still doing our thing, and it ended up being the good move. But no one left darling Dude. I was the second guy in the history of that department to ever walk away.
Speaker 2:So I spun some heads, okay.
Speaker 1:Right and I talked about earlier. My dream was you know, once I got into the fire service, I'm going to work for Chicago. Yeah, so Chicago test at that time, tested once every 10 years.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:And it was hey, you pass that standardized test and you get put on the lottery list and it goes for 10 years. Right, I got in. And then there's another route you could take. You could, you could put in as a for a paramedic and then you could, you know, do a couple of years, or whatever, and bridge over to the fireside. So I got my call, or my email. Let's say, uh, to come work for Chicago. And I was. You know, you had a, they had a residency clause at the time.
Speaker 2:They still may you had to live in a city and I was forever or disappeared at Tom.
Speaker 1:No you if, while you were working for the city, you had to live in the city Right. Um, and I think that was for all city employees, but for sure for fire, police and fire. So, uh, I, I turned that down, stayed in Arlington and um, like I I said, life kind of happened and um brought me out here in 2016, but um, it's a cult.
Speaker 2:So still in the culture thing, right. So you go from midwest right all the way to arizona. So what was culture wise, right? What was your biggest shock coming out here after you get the job right? Um, you're already through the academy, so it's day one in the firehouse, day one of probation, right? What was like your biggest culture shock between the two? Was there anything that kind of stood out to you?
Speaker 1:Talking backwards on a radio. You know, yeah, okay, so for everyone that doesn't know.
Speaker 2:So the department that me and Danny both work for we do not follow NIMS. So I was the same way because prior military right and then the department I worked for everyone used nims. So it was like, coming out here, I took me a long time to figure out how to talk because I'm like man, these guys are confusing me, you know. And then for them with us, they're like what is wrong with you two, you know, like yeah, so yeah, talking backwards, anything else, what about?
Speaker 1:like the attitudes of the guys, or no, I think you know what a big difference was is that I think the physical fitness right and I talked about that being a big reason the hiring process for our organization was a big, big reason of why I wanted to pursue this, this department in particular, but so expand on the physical fitness. Yeah, just, I mean you. I go back and and visit some of my old firehouses and there you can't fit another cigarette, but in some of those smoking canisters outside and shoot. I don't think we have anybody that smokes like actively smoke cigarettes right Like leisure you know, like recreational.
Speaker 1:they're out at the bars and stuff. You'll see it from time to time, but we don't have anybody on the job that just sits, you know, sit outside and smoke. I think our last guy retired what? Three or four years ago At least. Yeah, but just the physical fitness aspect, you know, and rightfully so, because I too had a pretty good awakening coming from. I went through a summer academy out here, right, having experience. You know, seven and something, seven plus years before coming here. I wasn't concerned about fighting fire in the heat, but I got. I got my eyes opened in a big way, that first fire on probation, you know I was um, you know, just, we'll say mid, midtown, right.
Speaker 1:I don't want 57. And, uh, I wasn't prepared for that. Right, you go from a controlled environment in an academy to that real world and you have to be. You have to. Physical fitness has to be a priority, hydration has to be a priority. Out here, you know, when you're one hundred one hundred ten, one hundred fifteen, one hundred twenty degrees, there's no option. So, yeah, that was a big difference, you know, coming coming from the Midwest a big difference.
Speaker 2:You know, coming coming from the Midwest, you know it's funny too, because the um, when I was on my probation year I was on that South ladder number two and I had a super senior season captain that was working for it and I remember it was like a running joke for him and the crew. So every day during that summer was say, for example, it's one, 15 a day, hey, yo, steve, what's the hottest you ever been in'd always ask them like, what's it today? You know, like 115, that's it today, right. So it was a running joke for a long time, as you know, like every day was like 116, 117, 118, right, we ended up that summer, I think we got to like 122. But I'll never forget my first like legit multiple line working fire here in the city. It was 120 plus degree day.
Speaker 2:And I remember coming out and I must've had a fucking look on my face, right, because people are coming up to me like bro, what's wrong with drunk, drunk, drunk, right. And I'm like I'm confused, right, and they're like what are you confused about? Be like I feel the breeze, but I think it feels worse, you know they start fucking die and laughing. They're're like welcome to the oven, brother, and I'm like, and then he clicked. I'm like, yeah, it's like a freaking oven, because that's the first time I've ever felt a breeze that was hotter than the outside temperature was at the time. That's what it felt like, you know, and I'm like I feel the breeze, but it's not, it's not cooling me down. You know, like back east or midwest, you're like you try to find that breeze right, like oh, it feels so much better with the breeze and just not the situation out here, you know, yeah, it's funny.
Speaker 1:So my first fire we got kicked out as a working garage fire, fully involved, and we got assigned on the ladder to pull a two and a half right To you know, whatever reset, exterior reset, whatever you want to call it and we didn't really touch a whole lot on a two and a half while in Academy and I remember thinking like I knew what it was, you know, street looping a two and a half sitting on it.
Speaker 1:Right. That was kind of like a, a go-to method where I came from and I was like I don't know if that's an appropriate, yeah, so I didn't like I don't want to sit here in my first fire and sit on a two and a half, and these guys were like what the hell are you doing?
Speaker 1:So I stood up and I'm taking this two and a half and get worked over Right and my captain at times like, hey, dude, let me show you something Like and he's you know he's like, this is a lot easier.
Speaker 1:I'm like God damn it yeah, like, yeah and you're not going to say hey boss, like go ahead and sit on this thing and manipulate it, right? So we put the garage fire out, go inside and then start our ladder work and we're pulling, you know, the whole second floor and I'm getting, I'm gassed. You know I'm thinking in my head. I remember my engineer was like hey, uh, you want me to pull that tool from you. And you know, pull some. And I'm like no, I got it, sir.
Speaker 1:Thinking like please God, ripped this tool out of my hands.
Speaker 2:Like I'm dying. Yeah, I can't say yes, but I really want you to.
Speaker 1:You know. So I'm still doing the thing, like, dude, I'm going to, I'm I'm seeing stars and I'm thinking in my head I was like do we go to rehab in this department? Like what are we doing? Finally, you know, like hey, let's go, let's go break down, let's go swap bottles. And I sprinted around that ladder, you know, and I stocked the coolers that morning and I was just dumping ice water down my back, like you can't cool down enough, you know. So just really puts an emphasis on the heat acclimation, getting in your turnouts, skills courses, you know, and doing the stuff early, not in the dead of summer, you know, starting in the spring or whatever, and you're just staying on top of it altogether all year long. So yeah, that was a big eye opener. A big eye opener for me.
Speaker 2:So what else besides? Um, before, because after saying that, I really want to talk a little bit about tactics, difference between where you came from in here, especially like clothesline deployments and stuff like that, because you them two and a half. But before we move on to that, because we're still talking a little bit about the culture from midwest to out here, um, do you feel like the and I'm only asking you this because I'll tell you my story too but like my biggest shock out here, and you kind of said it was like hey, when that chief came to talk because you forgot to check your email right, he went right to your loo and was just like hey, tell the fucking kid to check his email right. And then he turns to you hey, kid, check your email right. That's kind of the system I came from too, like battalion chief was, you didn't see him, and if you did see him he talked to the captain. The captain deciphered if he was going to transmit that information or not, or whatever the case might be.
Speaker 2:But like I remember coming out here and, uh, chief mainard was out here at the time. He's no longer with us, right, he's with another department, but I remember he was the first chief that I met and he came like right up to me and was just like, shake my hand, hey, how you doing? Like, hey, I think he introduced himself by his first name, you know, and I was so drawn back because I'm like, oh my God, like I don't even know how to interact with the battalion chief, right. So I mean I, I know that was like I didn't know if you had that same experience, but like I remember telling guys I'm like man, everyone's so nice out here, right, because we would eat our own. Oh yeah, you know, within the house, within the battalion, with, I mean everything, but it was just like everyone. So, which is which is a positive I really do believe, like I like the old school, but it was just like it was nice that they were more personable. I don't know if you had the same experience I did.
Speaker 1:No, a hundred percent. I think that, um, and I think it's a good thing, right, but and it's, I think a lot of it has to do with the busy, the busyness of our organization, Like a lot of that stuff, um, we don't have time for and not to say I came from a slow organization by any stretch, you know, but I didn't come from you know, nine stations, 40 plus, you know, almost 50,000 calls a year, busy either. So there's a lot. There was some downtime for a lot of that, a lot of that stuff to take place and um, and and a lot of it was just the deep rooted traditional values of the fire service, right, and the and the, the rank structure and the chain of command, uh, and not that I don't think say we're maybe we're a little laxed on that here, not and not saying that that's a bad thing, but there's just a lot more um, I don't know, camaraderie in some regard of you know they don't play. That's not part of the game here, I guess.
Speaker 2:yeah, no, I hear you. Yeah, I mean like every department has their own games, quote, unquote games that you play or whatever. But it's like you said, said it's just deep rooted traditions in the department, right, and I do wholeheartedly believe, across the United States especially, we all share a lot of basic traditions and hence half the reason why the Copper State fools exist or all the fools, right is we're trying to keep those traditions alive and, more importantly, bring back a lot of the ones that are slowly kind of fading away, that are very good fire service traditions that that we do need to keep around. Um, so, with all that saying so, you were saying like, hey, that that first real job you guys had, or whatever.
Speaker 2:You pulled the deuce in half, right, so where you came from, did they operate a lot like they do on the west coast when it comes down to line deployment and everything else. So, like, just walk me through like a traditional quote-unquote bread and butter house fire. Back where you came from, like between the communication, the culture, how the guys would like jazz each other up hose line deployments. I know every fire is different, right, but let's just kind of generalize it as much as you can, just for listeners I think we're going through, you know the process the engineer's process, the captain's process out here and just ingraining these tactics.
Speaker 1:you know where we're currently at. In my head I've lost a lot of how we did things, you know. I just remember it wasn't a whole lot of talking, you know, and I was a backseat guy so I knew, you know I was kind of like that moth to the candle, yeah the blinders were a little tight still.
Speaker 1:But I knew what my job was and it was hey, I'm going to get this hose line if I was on the engine to the fire, and that's that right, do a search along the way and all that stuff.
Speaker 2:But if I wasn't on an engine, a truck company or a squad company, we're trying to beat the engine in so we could go get that interior search, get know, get a primary, all clear and cool. You do that search with or without a hose line no, no, hose line. Right.
Speaker 1:So so I know that's different. I know, like that Brett Tarver, fire out here changed a lot of stuff in the in the Phoenix area with with doing searches with the hose line right, making that mandatory. But I think there was a lot of benefits to getting at least getting that perspective of searching without a hose line right, like seeing that thermal layering and having that visibility right. It forced you to get down to your hands and knees and look and right and if, as long as the fire hadn't been going for too long, your visibility was pretty good underneath the smoke.
Speaker 2:So yeah, and I mean that's like, it's a that that goes to the talking point too. Like, every action we do has an equal and opposite reaction. Some are good, some are bad. It's all about mitigating that opposite reaction either good or bad, right, or at least understanding it. But like, uh, I know, with that Brett Tolver fire, the biggest takeaway that we learned across the nation because of, unfortunately, what happened to him right, was how many individuals it's going to take to actually rescue a downed firefighter. You know, and then for everyone and if you haven't listened to or read about that study, you need to, because it basically broke down it takes about 12 guys to extricate one downed firefighter, right, but in that fire there was multiple maydays. I believe they resuscitated two individuals outside of brett from that fire. Like, I mean, it was just because at that point everybody's going in, right, that's their brother, you know, and at that point we all would have done the same thing. Um, but, yeah, it's, it's, you're absolutely right when it comes down to those things. But you know, just seeing the culture not really the culture, but just american service change, you know, just seeing the culture, not really the culture, but just American service change. You know, like searching without the hose line. You're talking about thermal layering and everything else and you can. Your visibility is good.
Speaker 2:And one of my gripes when we started doing, you know, the transitional attack or whatever you guys call it in the departments you work for, but hitting it hard from the yard or whatever, it's basically knocking down the bulk of the fire from the exterior, then making entrance Right, and I understand all the bulk of the fire from the exterior, then making entrance right and I understand all the benefits of it. You knock down the btus, you make a more survivable space, but at the same time, again, everything has the opposite and equal reaction. Right, when we darken down the fire from the exterior, then we go to search, right, we disrupted that thermal layer and now we no longer have that great visibility. Because I remember asking guys I I'm like should we reset it every time, especially when I was a backstep guy like should we really be resetting the fire every single time? Right, and obviously the answer is we don't do any anything every time, right, but you know, just trying to learn a new tactic and try to figure everything out, and you know that's something just to keep in the back of your brain for everyone listening to like if you guys do reset fires, right, that's going to hinder your search, it's going to hinder your visibility.
Speaker 2:So again, way off topic on that one, right? So you came out here, you're getting your butt kicked right Back East or, excuse me, back in the Midwest. You kind of had the blinders on a little bit. So when you came out here trying to learn the culture and everything else, like how did you adapt to that?
Speaker 1:I culture and everything else. Like, how did you adapt to that? I think it was a pretty easy transition. The culture, you know surprisingly and I don't know what your experience was is the culture in regards to the fire service was extremely similar, right, yeah, and when I first got into the fire service, I remember one of my senior firefighters would always use the. You know the line hey, same circus, different, different clowns. Right, yeah, I love that and it's been, it's been just that, right. And as I've firefighters that always use the, you know the line hey, same circus, different, different clowns.
Speaker 2:Right and it's been.
Speaker 1:It's been just that, Right, and as I've progressed and moved along and moved departments, um, you can almost pick out those characters from each department, right, and you know those guys are, are here in some form or fashion.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they just look a little different and they have a different name, right.
Speaker 1:Exactly so, culture wise, I'd say there wasn't, it was a pretty, it was a very smooth transition, right and and, like I said, having the experience that I had and the upbringing I had in the fire service was was it was easy, was easy for me, right.
Speaker 2:Let's, because I know you said that a lot of the memories are tactic wise, kind of went by the wayside. Because you've been here for a very long time now you know if you made your way through the ranks, you've had to, and I had to do the same thing. You almost have to forget things. I know when I came out here, there was one individual that they loved how we do an on scene report because it was so much different. So every time I would work with them, they'd be like hey, steve, give me an on-scene report real quick. And I would Right. And then I remember when I was testing, I think when I opened my acting book, right, so I was thinking about maybe testing for captain, I want to start acting, right, get some experience in this system under my belt. And um, that individual would ask me again. I told him I'm like listen, I can't do this anymore. And they're like no, why? Right? I'm like it's, it's fucking me up. Right, because I'm trying to learn a brand new system, a brand new way to talk. I'm like I can't, and I'll be honest with you right now I couldn't do a back East on scene report Like I should be able to, and that was purposely done, right, because I had I had to. Kind of the same way, it was like we did very little talking, right, predetermined running assignments, right, you only talked like it was bad news only, right. So unless something went sideways, no one fucking said a word, right, which is great when you have emergencies, maydays and stuff like that, compared to the region that we work in now, which is very structured. We talk a lot on the radio, right, which increases accountability dramatically.
Speaker 2:But at the same time, I remember when I was on probation I went to my captain and I'm like kind of same same deal you were talking about before when you're talking about sitting on that deuce and a half, you know. I asked the innocent question hey, skip, um, how do I call mayday? Right, and the captain starts going through the whole process to call the mayday. I'm like no, no, no, no, no. Let me reword this. I know how to call the mayday, I said, but how do I get across on the radio? And then he's like what do you mean? I'm like how do I get some airtime, because people are making assignments, they're talking or whatever? And he kind of stopped for a second and was adjust, because I'm like it's because obviously that's a super high, stressful event, right? Like, how are we going to do that?
Speaker 2:But I mean prime example right there, like just on cultural changes between you know, east and West and Midwest and West or whatever, or just whatever department you work for, if they choose to talk or not talk, you know. So, with all that going right, so you came out here, everything's good, you've made your way through the ranks, right? Um, so tell me about how that process went for you, coming from another department, did you? Did you feel like? Did you feel like the culture from back Midwest really helped you floors? Because I mean, you, like Danny's been on how how many years now here? Just over eight and a half, eight and a half, okay, so almost nine years here, right, so you've, you've made it through probation, been a backstop fireman for many years, right, promoted engineer and then now you've been promoted captain, right? So very successful on a short period of time, right? So do you? How? How did that Midwest culture help you develop and then be the captain that you are now?
Speaker 1:Well, I think I had the same attitude as anybody you know, being younger in the fire service I wanted to stay in the backseat and fight fire. Right, that's the cool thing to do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, back step for life bro.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't ever want to promote engineer culture here compared to where I came from. That was, hey, I'm ready to stop going interior. Yeah, my body hurts a little bit, yeah, and I'm kind of I'm ready to to stop going interior. I'm going to, I'm going to.
Speaker 2:Yeah, my body hurts a little bit yeah.
Speaker 1:And rightfully so. Right, you got a ton of seniority points, testing for engineering and even a lieutenant out there, but those, those guys were primarily and the engineer position was a super senior guy. Yeah Right, that was towards the end of his career. So when I got out here I was like I ain't trying to drive, right, I wanna be interior and whether that means, you know, in the backseat.
Speaker 2:I wanna be with the boys, yeah.
Speaker 1:Right, so, so, taking that approach, here it is different. Right, there's a lot of young guys and if you're hungry you can promote, and with the mentor program I pound that into these guys. The opportunity at this department is endless If you maintain, you know, like crush probation, maintain a good reputation, work hard and be involved, and it's literally that simple man. Guys are going to want to help you, you guys are going to want to see you successful. So, being a good engineer, you know, and that's going to lead me to be a good captain, you know, which I'm in the process of.
Speaker 2:But um, I want to be a line. He already is a good captain, he's just being modest.
Speaker 1:I want to. I want to be able to you know, help, help you know, build, build those guys that you know, and be able to not be a dead end right, have questions about the engineer stuff, the backseat stuff. Uh, I want to be an avenue for you know, just just helping out and getting those questions answered appropriately.
Speaker 2:So dude, I love it and so I mean and that's all, that's all culture. What you're talking about, too, is especially like the, the, like you said, the endless possibilities. But really we do have a culture out here. That's like hey, man, like if you're stagnant, you need to continue. In other words, like hey, after a couple of years we're pushing guys hey, you have your acting engineer, yet why not? Right, let's teach you Right? Um, and I appreciate that a lot, with us constantly trying to make guys uncomfortable. But at the same time and I feel like we probably came from the same type of culture and I'm curious on what your answer is, but where I came from, when guys would, it's the same deal.
Speaker 2:But if they promote an engineer or whatever, or we call them pump operators, and wholeheartedly and with all love and due respect, I would call them plump operators because they would typically get big bellies right, and we always say, man, they must have the highest uniform allowance, because a steering wheel, would you know, cut a little thing right across their belly, wherever they rubbed, you know. So they had to constantly buy new t-shirts, but anyway. But with that said, I appreciated that because I remember one of my drivers. He had 30 plus years on the job. I mean I think he was been an engineer for 20 of those years.
Speaker 2:But the nice thing about it is he's been at that station, at station 18, right, the officer never told him a single turn. He might tell him, like once he got in the neighborhood, like maybe the last left or right to turn, but I mean that that man knew every plug, he knew every alleyway, every back way If the road was closed. You know, and you miss that experience, right, when you come out to a more forward thinking department where they're like pushing you hey, get uncomfortable, promote, get uncomfortable, promote or at least act. You know, see that other job. You kind of have that same experience coming through. Oh yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:That was. I mean, I couldn't tell you how many times when I was, when I was brand new, let's say at Arlington Heights, uh, uh, shoot. Driving like driving a squad or whatever, right, because the engineer typically drove the engine or the ladder now in arlington.
Speaker 2:Just to clarify a squad what was the squad for you guys? So?
Speaker 1:the squad was like a shoot probably half the squad, it wasn't quite. It wasn't a heavy rescue, it was probably half the size. Um, I'm trying to compare it to something out here still a rolling toolbox though.
Speaker 2:Yeah right, not an ambulance, not a pickup truck, right yeah?
Speaker 1:so it could do just majority any any operation on the fire ground okay any border and hose or no, no, none of that. So you know, air pack tools, forceful entry stuff, extrication, all that kind of stuff, okay, um, but yeah, it was a, it primarily, uh, chased the ambulance, went on all the fire. It was probably the best truck to be on because you went to everything. You went to everything and anything, so the engineers were dedicated to driving the tower right or the engines, okay, and that organization specifically.
Speaker 2:Gotcha All right. So what do you miss from the culture from Midwest, where you grew up, compared to out here? I know everything's different. Every you know everything's good and bad. Everything else Right, but what's one thing that, like you wish, like if you could just pluck one thing from your last department and insert it to your current department, what would that be? Culture wise? The helmets? No, I'm kidding, nope, dude, dude, wait, hold on, yes, yes, no, I'm kidding, yeah, nope dude, wait hold on.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, right, so the helmet. So what is your preferred helmet? We rocked a karen's 1010, okay so just a traditional composite right.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, dude, same same with me, right, you know, I, I I came from traditional helmets, right, are the the metros or whatever this? I love to call them the salad bowls. You know, they were recruit helmets, right. So in recruit school that's what you wore, right? But once you graduate and you know on paper you're a firefighter, right, you haven't been one of the boys yet you got that Carnes 1010. And then they gave us the option we could buy a leather right.
Speaker 2:The department used to work for how to be a Sam Houston right, because the Neworkers weren't. They were missing some sort of rating on their impact cap or whatever. But they were heavy as sin but ended up transitioning to like a ben two low rider. I love that freaking lid to the point. But I mean, I'll tell you what I believe. That is a culture tradition thing, because, uh, it also falls under like morale, you know, because it's uh, like I know where I came from, like man, I had the passport right. So for the guys that don't, you know the leather shields in the front and right in the middle, just the numbers. I would switch out and I only went between like three different houses. So I just had all those houses printed. So, depending on where I was going, I put that 18 today, 26 the next day, you know, 33 the day after, or whatever the case might be. I love that stuff.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know. No, there's a lot to that and I've made it known here. We joke around. At least our helmets are black. I like that. We have black helmets here, but I do. I like that. There's something to that, the pride, the tradition of those traditional fire helmets. I don't know, it's cool, man, and I still have my old one, but I don't know, it is what it is. Maybe someday we'll get it done here.
Speaker 2:All right, so outside of helmets, what else?
Speaker 1:One other thing you bring in and not to give that cliche answer, but, dude, just the guys man, like I miss. There's a lot of guys that just I got. I was fortunate enough to to come up and shoot. Some of these guys are some of my best friends man from 2000, may of 2009, when I got hired, right Still talk to one of my best friends, mikey, that we went through Romeo with the Romeoville together and we kind of both went separate ways at about the same time after we did about four or four and a half years there. But great, just great people in Arlington, romeoville. That's it, dude. Just probably just the guys you know. Know, no, I got you for sure.
Speaker 2:All right, um, before we get on to the the questions um, for firemen for season one, is there anything you want to add? On culture? Um, anything, we didn't talk about anything. You want to address anything that's important to you?
Speaker 1:yeah, one, one thing, uh, that that kind of caught me off guard was you know, I understood what mutual aid was, what aid was, and that was a big difference coming out here. Yeah, dude, let's talk about that for a minute.
Speaker 1:Yeah, mutual aid. We were a mutual aid department where I came from and unless shit was hitting the fan in our town, we ran all the calls within our city limits. And you take pride in that and I'm not saying we don't take pride here, right, but having that ability for auto aid and it's better for the public, I 100% agree. Right, the closest truck goes to whatever call. But there was a sense of pride in, in, in tradition, in that, hey, there might be a firehouse from a different town, you know a block and a half away, but and we're, you know we're six, seven blocks away, but we're still going to take that call because it's in, it's in our district.
Speaker 1:So that was a little bit of a of a difference. But I mean you come out here, shit we're. We're splitting a station with you know another city.
Speaker 1:Yeah, which is crazy, Um, and it's for the most part working. I mean, I'm not stationed out of that, out of that, uh, that house on a regular basis, but uh, we make it work. You know, and you talk, you go, I go back and tell these guys from my old, my old fire departments and they're like that, that's, that would never work, Like, ah, it does. You know, I'm not saying those guys are super thrilled about sending a truck to one of our stations, but again, that auto aid, deal it. It. It makes sense, right For the public.
Speaker 2:It does, it works. And it's funny because throughout the United States I mean, I believe that is the majority of the departments are a mutual aid, right, you don't, you don't get help from another neighboring department unless you ask for it. Right, you actually have to come on the radio. Or some people have to make phone calls. Right, you have to call, maybe their, their chief, and ask if you know. Um, but, like, that's where I came from was the same thing and it was crazy because the you know, the public believes, you know, across the nation, that, hey, when they call 9-1-1, if their house is on fire, grandma smirkins is in cardiac arrest, or I mean whatever, or little joey's toe hurts, right from one extreme to another, they're expecting that the closest truck comes. They don't care what city it's from or what county it's from or whatever it is, they just want trained professionals there, right now. You know, and that truly does work in the system that we're in right now, which is amazing, it doesn't matter whose city it is, where, and it doesn't even have to be their normal running areas, they just happen to be at the grocery store, and now they're closer, they get picked up on that call because everything's gps'd, right, right, which is amazing.
Speaker 2:But like I remember, like countless fires that we would watch burn across a city line because they didn't ask for help, you know, and that's just how it was. It's like we don't get to go unless they ask for help, and you know, it's crazy if you think about it in the long run. But you're absolutely correct, the system that we work in is a better system by all means, right. But I do agree with you that pride and tradition, I mean I remember we would have, like, just in our double houses, like the engine crew did not like the ladder crew, right, and because the engine's like, hey, we do all the work, we put the fire out, the ladder's like you're just a bunch of hose monkeys, right, we're the ones that actually do the real men's work. Bug, bug, bug, you know, or whatever. And then forget it. We get put out for a job. We're friends right now, right, right. So we go there and same department, because we want to handle it all of ourselves, right. And then, god forbid, uh, a house from another battalion comes.
Speaker 2:We're like fuck those guys right, and these are all our dudes, you know, but like we would eat our own yeah, you know, and here we're like hey, just come on over.
Speaker 1:Like hey, there's plenty of fire for everybody yeah, and there's still that healthy competition next door, right, and oh yeah, you know they're better than us, we're better than them, uh, and I think that's that's a good thing, yeah, it's a great thing. I love, I love that. That's a huge draw for me in the fire services that that healthy competition Right, we all get, we all bring each other up. It's all part of that culture, right. But I think having that auto aid aspect of the department is, you know, it helps build relationships, especially sharing a station, right, because those guys, you know they, they all, we're all doing the same job and we're running and in the auto aid system, so it helps, you know, build, you know tear down those walls and, uh, build those relationships, which is huge Right, and we got that in that. Special operations, trt has met community. We get to work hand in hand with guys all over the Valley, which allows us to do just that Right.
Speaker 2:Build relationships Exactly, and I mean that's that's thoroughly important, like I've I've been fortunate to be on on fires with multiple different cities, right, and here, like a battalion from another city outside of ours, right, have a heartache with, say, one of an action that one of our crews did, say let's just, you know, generalize it. Say a vent hole right, say our ladder vented on a house, and the battalion's like, oh, I'm not sure if it should have been vented, right, I I've been on calls like that where the city that that battalion works for those guys end up sticking up for our guys because they were interior, right, they needed the hole, they called for it, right, and it's just one of those. But it all goes down to those relationships that could have easily gone the opposite direction and say at those guys, I didn't tell them to do nothing, but no, you're right, we all work together and because of those relationships we build and because, hey, they arrive on scene next, we're going to give them a freaking assignment right now. So I wholeheartedly believe that it's all about communication and relationships, especially in this profession, and I believe we do a very good job of it, especially compared to the rest of the nation.
Speaker 2:I kind of feel like, at least coming from where you came from, where I came from, I think we do it a little bit better right, just because of the system that we work in. Is there anything else you want to add about just the cultural differences or American firehouse cultures in general? Anything you want to add about just the cultural differences or fire fire, I should say American firehouse cultures in general, anything you want to add at all?
Speaker 1:You know one thing, one thing, I know we're over an hour already, but we talked earlier about something that really drew me to this department, and then we talked about the physical fitness aspect of of our or just the valley. The fact of, and what drew me to this organization in particular was our hiring process. Right, I went through the first let's call it the combine yeah, okay, that our organization put on and I wasn't sold on. I'm moving out here a hundred percent. Right, I wanted to. I was had a great career, great organization I worked for. I wasn't going to leave that just for anything. So I wanted to secure a job out here before I made that move. For those of you guys don't know, right, we do the typical, you know put in for the process, first round, second round, interview, and then we send our recruits or the people testing to we call it the combine, right. So it's three days or orientation day and then pretty much two days of, you know, physically beating them down you know, one of the hardest things I've ever been through physically.
Speaker 1:And what really stood out to me right With our organization, that is that these guys are willing to set the bar this high just to get your foot in the door. You know, like I, this is the type of organization that I want to. I want to work for Right and we run, you know, 40, 40, almost 50,000 calls a year out of nine stations. Um, good, you know, good, good, good fires, good medical, you know we get, we get all the good stuff. Um, so all that stuff drew me. And then physical aspect of of the standard that this department holds in that fact that it's not just an HR formality, like a lot of the places where I came from were right.
Speaker 2:The firemen get to hire the future fire. That's huge.
Speaker 1:Makes all the sense in the world. You know it's mind blowing that that hasn't caught on across the country, but when I first started at both my other departments it was you know. I went through HR. The city did the put on the hiring process, the testing. The first time I met any of the guys was day one when I went to the truck. That was a huge difference and a huge benefit to this place. I got a no thanks my first go. I think it was 2015. I tested here.
Speaker 2:That's hard, that's a hard pill to swallow.
Speaker 1:So I had to do it twice and when they gave me the no thanks here, I knew I'm coming back, this is my job, I'm going to get this job. So that was a big draw to me. Right is the standard that we put on our organization, in particular from a physical fitness standard and just it's our members, you know, picking the future of this organization right. So it's a little bit of accountability on ourselves, like, hey, I put my name count on this guy in the hiring process. I'm going to ensure he delivers on the interview stuff that he talked and what he did in the combine and said he was going to do for this organization. So it's a cool piece that not a lot of departments nationwide are capitalizing on.
Speaker 2:Dude, I love it. And just a little shameless plug here Keep listening to future episodes. We're actually going to sit down with a captain that runs our hiring process, so you'll you want to know more about the combine and everything else? Stay tuned. That's going to be explained in detail on a a future podcast, my brother. Well, without keeping the audience waiting any longer here, let's get into questions, the four questions for season one you ready, ready, all right? So question number one why the? Why right? Why did you get into the fire service? So when did it bite you? When did you decide Danny's like man? This is what I want to do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think I kind of touched on it earlier. Right Is just doing that, that a little bit of work on the front end and figuring out that these people that were in the fire service had such a love and a passion for the job and it's, you love what you do. You never work a day in your life. So, having that perspective on, you know a lot of these guys saying that you're, you know, hey, I hit the lottery getting into the fire service, it's the best job in the world. Um, every day is different.
Speaker 1:All that stuff, not saying like all that was was, yeah, it was a huge draw for me to, you know, pursue a career that people felt that passionate about. And then you throw in, you know, the camaraderie, the brotherhood, the, you know that sports mentality which you know grew up playing sports my whole life. All that, just, it all made sense, right. And then solidifying that with doing the groundwork right, right, and then solidifying that with doing the groundwork right, taking the EMT, going to paramedic school, you know, getting my foot in the door with my first department, all that stuff. It just, it was an easy transition. I didn't have a crazy call or a crazy calling of hey, I'm going to. I want to be a firefighter. It happened later in life and it just all fell into place for me.
Speaker 2:So I love it Freaking. Great answer, man. All right, all right, brother. Question number two. So far, so good.
Speaker 1:So who is the most influential person so far in your fire service career? Yeah, so I. I touched on them a little earlier, right First year in the fire service.
Speaker 1:That's a guy I consider just a true mentor, who kind of laid a lot of the foundational stuff in regards to mentor, the mentorship that I've kind of tried to emulate throughout my career. Marty Henry right, battalion chief with Romeoville. Now Is he still in the job. Yeah, okay, he just, I mean, just showed me, you know what it really meant, and not just from the mentor standpoint. Just, hey, this is the right way this job's supposed to be done.
Speaker 1:And man, there was a point where I was kind of contemplating maybe this fire service isn't for me, right, because I said, and kind of to backtrack a little bit, my only exposure was the private ambulance sector.
Speaker 1:Yeah, right, and I didn't go through the fire academy just yet, and that obviously helped me a bunch. Marty took me under his wing and just showed me kind of, hey, this is the right way. Right, it was very confrontational when he needed to be, uh, held me accountable, which is a big thing, right, and it still kind of holds true to today and I think we do a good job of that here, right, holding each other accountable Absolutely. But he man just gave up a really really cush environment in regards to where he was at, house-wise, was, you know, with really good buddies of his and left that because he saw something in me to, you know, kind of show me the ropes in the right way and and I can't thank him enough for that. So that guy, like I said, just just foundational in where I've made it career wise and can't thank that guy enough.
Speaker 2:Dude, that's awesome and I know for a fact probably every single person listening to this. They have that guy. You know, especially the good ones. So good way to fucking shout out to your mentor right, give him some props, because that's the hardest thing we do, you know, you tell these guys how much they mean to you and they'll never really understand, but any chance we get to tell them, you know for sure. So, yeah, so good job, brother. You turned out a freaking amazing fireman and we're reaping the benefits having them over with us. All right. So two more to go, buddy. You're almost done. Uh, third question favorite fire department tradition.
Speaker 1:I know we talked about this, you know it's again uh kind of a cliche answer. But just that kitchen table right, that family environment. But to just kind of expand off of that because I do love that about just the fire service in general and being able to go anywhere in the country and popping into different firehouses throughout the nation and seeing that same camaraderie happen, but just that mentality and I mean I don't know that there's another occupation that shares this with the fire service. It's just that being one of the guys. And when I say being one of the guys, it's not inclusive to men and women.
Speaker 2:It's the brotherhood right. We all know that Brothers, sisterhood, guys are guys, girls are guys. It's all the same thing.
Speaker 1:Just that station banter, the competitiveness you know, holding each other accountable all that when it comes from a place of love. And I just I love that about the fire service. Man and I had an awesome upbringing family, wise, Grew up with two brothers, a huge, huge family in regards to, grew up with all my cousins Right. All my aunts and uncles were all super, super close for the most part. Two brothers, a huge family in regards to, grew up with all my cousins right. All my aunts and uncles were all super, super close for the most part. I just love that the fire service emulates that family aspect and the brotherhood and it's still alive, right? People say, ah, brotherhood's fading, it's still there right, it's just different A little bit.
Speaker 2:I think. Anytime someone has that mentality that's like, oh, it's stopped or it's whatever, whatever that negative banter is, I really don't buy into that, you know, I don't believe it. It's still there. It's just different, right, and some things are different for the better, some, you know it depends on your personal outlook, or different for the worse or whatever, however you want to put it, but it's just different. And I think as long as you hold on to whatever the traditions are right and then you continue those, I think it's a positive outcome all the way around. Um, before we get onto the last question, because you said you came from big family, anyone else in your family on the job?
Speaker 1:I have one uncle. One uncle that works for a suburb of Chicago where he's retired now. But okay, gotcha, yeah Didn't really have a huge impact. You know shit about the fire service before I got into it man.
Speaker 2:No, I was the same boat as you. So, dude, you know good job. I agree with you wholeheartedly that kitchen table is sacred, you know on all different levels. So I hope that never goes away in the fire service. I can't imagine I can't see it ever going away. But keep my fingers crossed, at least in the rest of our careers we'll never see it fade. All right, so kind of the opposite of that right. Not necessarily tradition wise. But if you could snap your fingers and just change one thing in the fire service, anything you want, right, instant gratification, what would it be? But more importantly, why?
Speaker 1:Yeah, easy. And just to play off that last answer, no-transcript, that common bunk room, right, no one had a place to go hide and watch tv or whatever the case in their own little private bedroom. Yeah, everybody kicked, everybody kicked it at the bay, the in the bay table, right, there's a little TV there and then from there it was the kitchen table. So I would, I would replace that, right, I'd get rid of all that secluded and that environment that gives you somewhere to hide or not be out there with the guys.
Speaker 2:I got you, no it. You know it's funny because you know I, I do definitely see the advantages of the private rooms and everything else, but like I'm kind of in the same boat as you, I wish we ripped every TV out, right. Um, I actually wish we would get rid of the day rooms. I'd rather put all of our it right back in the freaking bay, right, because I love being in the bay, because what happens and we've I've talked to other individuals on this podcast too like you hang out in the bay long enough.
Speaker 2:Eventually compartments start getting opened up, you start talking shop, I mean, and then the best thing is you get a job, you're freaking right there. You know it's like it's. It's amazing like I, some of our houses still have a little bit of furniture in bays and like I always take advantage of like. You'll find me hanging out most of the time in the bay, um, but I'll tell you what. Because I came up in the system where we had common bunk rooms too. I do not miss trying to fall asleep before the snore. Typically that plump operator, the engineer, right with that big old belly, it's like shit. You know, I remember we used to carry. I don't know about you guys, but like, just rolls the toilet paper next to our racks and started flinging them at people. You know just enough for them to roll over and be like okay, let me try to get to sleep.
Speaker 1:Yeah, unless they were the officer or a super salty senior guy, those they got kicked out. You're snored, you're out of there.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, no, we didn't have the opportunity. Like the officers, the lieutenant and the captain would have his own private room, but outside of that, everybody guys and girls, you know, or or ambos were were firemen, right, but we're, you know, mixed male and female and they just, I'm not sure if it's still like that, but, um, they, uh, it was all common bunker man, and we never, thank God, we never knock on wood, we never had any sort of issues like that. So, dude, yeah, you killed it, man. So, um, anything you want to add, we're, we're at the end of our podcast, right? I really appreciate you spending your time with us, um, sharing your stories, right, it's an insight that, um, a lot of people don't have. So, thank you for sharing your, your stories. You know the traditions, what you love. More importantly, just a passion you have for the fire service, um, anything you want to close us out on, or you, you think you hit everything.
Speaker 1:No, I think, just you. You know, thank you for the time and uh, share, I guess, my path to where I'm at? No fire service and yeah, man, I'm passionate about this, about this job. I hope, I hope that I portray that right I think I do, and within our organization. But just keep that flame burning with the younger guys. And you know that whole old adage uh, let's leave this place better and we found it type mentality. So thanks for the platform to be able to kind of talk?
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely, and so, um, dude, danny, again, thank you so much for your time, brother, you killed it, right? Um, hopefully this podcast goes on for several years and I can get you back on here when you make battalion and we could have a whole nother conversation. How's that sound? We'll see. All right, brother, we'll listen. Hey, everyone, thank you for listening. You guys have a, uh, a great evening and, uh, we'll catch you on the next episode. Thanks for joining us. Always remember, the most important grab you'll make in your fire service career is saving a complacent firefighter from themselves. Catch you next episode.
